A Father's Day Tribute

I am a scrapbooker and have been for a long time. I love the idea of my words and pictures coming together in a special way that will be treasured long after I have left this earth. I used to consider my scrapbooking hobby and my writing to be completely separate pursuits. As I have matured as a writer though, I see them coming together more and more which has been an enlightening  journey  for me. My pictures inspire my writing and my writing inspires my pictures and other times the two just somehow immerge together like with this recent project I want to share with you.

I like to hang up scrapbook layouts which showcase my kids on their bedroom doors. I got the idea from my sister who got the idea from Stacy Julian who featured the idea in her book Photo Freedom which I highly recommend every scrapbooker read.  It works out well because kids love seeing themselves in the pictures and the creator gets to enjoy her newest creation before they go into an album. I had been sitting on all these pictures from my trip back in April to visit my Dad and Step-mom until this weekend when I had some extra time (still don’t know how that happened!). I was planning to work on a layout highlighting the activities of the trip when a theme presented itself- the love shared between my daughter Riley and her GrandPops. I knew that I didn’t want to work on anything else but a layout about them. The fact that it was Father’s Day weekend made this project even more meaningful for me as I was able to not only reflect on their love but on my love for my Dad as well.

I am happy with the way it turned it out and I hope that it inspires you in some way too. Making time for art in your life is about making time to explore your thoughts and feelings about the world. I find that it helps me to be a better mom and person when I am more connected with my feelings rather than denying them the time that they deserve. Once I give them some attention, I can move on. As my Dove chocolate wrapper so aptly describes it, “Renew your sense of discovery.” I would add “Renew your sense of self-discovery”.  

Journaling: I love to see Riley’s relationship with her GrandPops grow. I love the fact that we both share a special love for him. I love that their interactions are a window into my childhood with my Dad. It is easy to imagine what he and I must have looked like together when I was three. It is easy to hear the kindness with which he must have spoken to me. It is easy to see the patience he must have had with me. It is easy to see the gentleness with which he held me. It is so very easy to see why we both love him so!

Happy Father’s Day Dad! I love you!